John Boyega has made peace with the role that previously caused him anguish that he made public, but now says “made a man of him.”
The star of JJ Abrams’s Star Wars reboot previously called out Disney for its treatment of his character Finn, stormtrooper turned resistance fighter.
He said in 2020 of Finn’s spotlight in The Force Awakens followed by his diminished role over the course of the franchise:
“What I would say to Disney is, ‘Do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important to the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good.’ ”
Three years later, he is more sanguine, telling The Times of London:
“For me Star Wars has made the man, in a sense… The experiences, the fun times, good times, ugly times, bad times, it makes you who you are as you navigate through the industry, and that has definitely been interesting.”
Regarding the finale, which saw Finn reunited with his Star Wars co-stars, he reflected:
“I feel like the arc that JJ tried to tie up, that’s where I feel comfortable with the release of him. And since then I’ve been able to enjoy, as a fan, The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’m enjoying the balance of all things.”
Last year, the British actor said he was warmed by seeing how differently Disney handled similar fan criticism of Moses Ingram in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Boyega stars in Breaking, available for digital download on March 27, a title on which he also serves as exec producer. He plays the lead role in the real-life story of Marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley, who in 2017 robbed a Los Angeles bank after his benefits cheque had been stopped.
